WO2013021633A1

WO2013021633A1 - Pigment for aqueous inks, aqueous ink composition containing same, and image and printed matter using same

Info

Publication number: WO2013021633A1
Application number: PCT/JP2012/005031
Authority: WO
Inventors: 友紀子江上; 和知　浩子; 中山　徳夫; 弘志前川
Original assignee: 三井化学株式会社
Priority date: 2011-08-08
Filing date: 2012-08-08
Publication date: 2013-02-14
Also published as: JPWO2013021633A1; JP6061097B2; US9023472B2; US20140234595A1

Abstract

A white pigment for aqueous inks of the present invention contains a metal compound (1) that satisfies the following conditions (A), (B) and (C). (A) The metal compound (1) contains titanium oxide and a metal compound (2) that has a refractive index at a wavelength of 550 nm of from 1.60 to 2.45 (inclusive), and when the total of the titanium oxide and the metal compound (2) is taken as 100% by weight, the content of the titanium oxide is from 50% by weight to 99% by weight (inclusive) and the content of the metal compound (2) is from 1% by weight to 50% by weight (inclusive). (B) The peak value of the volume-based particle size distribution of the metal compound (1) as measured by a dynamic light scattering method is within the range of 100-700 nm. (C) The pore volume of the metal compound (1) as calculated by a Barrett-Joyner-Halenda (BJH) method is from 0.1 ml/g to 0.65 ml/g (inclusive).

Description

Aqueous ink pigment, aqueous ink composition containing the same, and image or printed matter thereof

The present invention relates to a pigment for aqueous ink, an aqueous ink composition containing the same, and an image or printed matter thereof.

In recent years, inkjet printing has attracted attention as a method for forming images such as letters, pictures and designs on a substrate such as a transparent film. Ink jet printing is a printing method in which printing is performed by causing ink droplets to fly and adhere to a recording medium such as paper. When printing on such a substrate, it is necessary to conceal the substrate in order to improve the color of the printed matter. In order to conceal the base, it is common to use a white ink with high concealability, and as the pigment, an inorganic pigment, particularly titanium dioxide is often used.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-130527 JP 2008-200854 A JP 2010-174100 A

However, inorganic pigments such as titanium dioxide have a high specific gravity, and therefore, when used for inkjet inks having a low viscosity, suppression of pigment settling becomes a problem. When the pigment settles, there are problems such as clogging during ejection from the ink jet nozzle and poor storage stability of the ink.

If the particle size of titanium dioxide is reduced in order to suppress pigment settling, the settling can be reduced, but since the white color developability is lowered, the hiding power is also lowered and the hiding power of the white ink is reduced. There is a problem that it falls dramatically.

Patent Document 1 discloses that a white pigment with excellent dispersibility can be obtained by coating the surface of titanium dioxide particles with porous silica. However, when coated with silica having a small refractive index, there is a problem that the whiteness decreases. In addition, silica is known to be easily dissolved when alkaline, and there is a problem that ink adjustment conditions cannot be widely selected.

Patent Document 2 discloses a method of forming a white solid coating layer with a porous titanium dioxide pigment using an inkjet method. However, although the details of the titanium dioxide pigment are not described in this case, the titanium dioxide pigment generally has a problem of being easily settled and having poor long-term storage stability.

Patent Document 3 discloses that whiteness can be maintained and storage stability can be ensured by using silica having a specific gravity smaller than that of titanium dioxide. However, since silica has inferior whiteness and hiding properties compared to titanium dioxide, it is necessary to use titanium dioxide together. As a result, it is difficult to ensure storage stability.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and is a pigment for aqueous ink that is difficult to settle in an aqueous ink medium and has good white color developability, an aqueous ink composition containing the same, and an aqueous solution thereof The present invention provides an image or printed matter obtained using the ink composition.

As a result of intensive studies to achieve the above-mentioned problems, the present inventors have found that when a metal compound satisfying a specific condition is contained, a pigment for aqueous ink that is difficult to settle in an aqueous ink medium and has a good white color developability. As a result, the present invention was completed.

That is, according to the present invention, the following pigment for aqueous ink, an aqueous ink composition containing the pigment, and an image or printed matter obtained using the aqueous ink composition are provided.

[1] A white pigment for aqueous ink containing a metal compound (1) that satisfies the following conditions (A), (B), and (C).
(A) The metal compound (1) includes titanium dioxide and a metal compound (2) having a refractive index of 1.60 or more and 2.45 or less at a wavelength of 550 nm,
When the total of the titanium dioxide and the metal compound (2) is 100% by weight, the content of the titanium dioxide is 50% by weight to 99% by weight, and the content of the metal compound (2) is 1% by weight. % To 50% by weight.
(B) The peak value of the volume particle size distribution measured by the dynamic light scattering method of the metal compound (1) is in the range of 100 to 700 nm.
(C) The pore volume of the metal compound (1) calculated by the BJH (Barrett-Joyner-Halenda) method is 0.1 ml / g or more and 0.65 ml / g or less.
[2] The white pigment for water-based ink according to [1] above,
A white pigment for aqueous ink, wherein the specific gravity of the metal compound (2) is 3.0 g / cm ³ or more and 6.0 g / cm ³ or less.
[3] In the white pigment for water-based ink according to [1] or [2] above,
A white pigment for aqueous ink, wherein the metal compound (2) is zirconium dioxide.
[4] In the white pigment for aqueous ink according to any one of [1] to [3],
In the X-ray diffraction measurement by CuKα ray of the white pigment for water-based ink,
When the respective I _a and I _b the strongest peak intensity of the diffraction lines derived from the titanium dioxide and the metal compound (2), a white pigment for aqueous ink peak intensity ratio I _{b /} I _a is 0.02 or less .
[5] An aqueous ink composition containing the white pigment for aqueous ink according to any one of [1] to [4].
[6] In the water-based ink composition as described in [5] above,
An aqueous ink composition, wherein the aqueous ink composition is for inkjet printing.
[7] An image or printed matter obtained by printing the water-based ink composition according to [5] or [6] on a substrate.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a white pigment for water-based ink that does not easily settle in a water-based ink medium and has good white color development. The aqueous ink composition containing the pigment for aqueous ink of the present invention is excellent in storage stability. In addition, the coating film obtained from the aqueous ink composition of the present invention is excellent in whiteness and / or hiding properties.

The above-described object and other objects, features, and advantages will be further clarified by the preferred embodiments described below.
Hereinafter, the pigment for water-based ink, the water-based ink composition containing the pigment, and the image or printed matter thereof in this embodiment will be described in order. Further, “˜” represents the following from the above unless otherwise specified.

1. White pigment for water-based ink (metal compound)
The white pigment for water-based ink of this embodiment contains a metal compound (1) that satisfies a specific condition. The metal compound (1) of this embodiment contains titanium dioxide and a metal compound (2) having a refractive index of 1.60 or more and 2.45 or less at a wavelength of 550 nm.
The refractive index of titanium dioxide is 2.52 for the anatase type and 2.71 for the rutile type.
Examples of the metal compound (2) having a refractive index of 1.60 to 2.45 at a wavelength of 550 nm include CeO ₂ (refractive index 2.2), zirconium dioxide (refractive index 2.05), and zinc sulfide (refractive index 2). .38), ZnO (refractive index 1.95), Y ₂ O ₃ (refractive index 1.87), lead white (refractive index 2.01), magnesium oxide (refractive index 1.74), aluminum oxide (refractive index). 1.63), BaSO ₄ (refractive index 1.60), 3Zr4 (PO ₄ ) (refractive index 1.73), ZrP ₂ O ₇ (refractive index 1.68), (ZrO) 2P ₂ O ₇ (refractive index). 1.73), and the like (ZrO) _2P 2 _{O 7} (refractive index _{_{1.78), Zr (PO 3)}} 4 ( refractive index 1.64).

It is known that the whiteness is higher when the refractive index is higher. Further, it is known that the refractive index is additive, and that when the refractive index is mixed with the high refractive index, the refractive index decreases. In this embodiment, although the metal compound (2) having a low refractive index is added to the refractive index of titanium dioxide, the whiteness is equal or rather improved.

Although the crystallite size calculated | required by the Debye-Scherrer method of the powder X-ray analysis of the metal compound (1) of this embodiment is not specifically limited, For example, it can be 4 nm or more and 50 nm or less, and can be 4 nm or more and 15 nm. The thickness is preferably 5 nm or more and particularly preferably 5 nm or more and 10 nm or less. When the crystallite size determined by the Debye-Scherrer method of the powder X-ray analysis of the metal compound (1) of the present embodiment is 4 nm or more, visible light scattering is likely to occur and the whiteness is improved. The following is preferable because dispersibility is improved. Moreover, in order to improve whiteness more, it can also be 15 nm or more, especially 30 nm or more. The crystallite size determined by the Debye-Scherrer method of powder X-ray analysis of the metal compound (1) of the present embodiment can be controlled by the firing conditions, and if the firing temperature is increased and the firing time is lengthened, the crystallite The size tends to increase.

The metal compound (2) preferably has a specific gravity of 3.0 g / cm ³ or more and 6.0 g / cm ³ or less, more preferably 3.95 g / cm ³ or more and 6.0 g / cm ³ or less. Examples of such a metal compound (2) include zirconium dioxide (specific gravity 5.69), zinc sulfide (specific gravity 4.0), ZnO (specific gravity 5.6), Y ₂ O ₃ (specific gravity 5.03), aluminum oxide ( Specific gravity 3.97), BaSO ₄ (specific gravity 4.45), 3Zr4 (PO ₄ ) (specific gravity 3.32), ZrP ₂ O ₇ (specific gravity 3.14), (ZrO) 2P ₂ O ₇ (specific gravity 3.53) _{_{), (ZrO) 2P 2 O}} 7 ( specific gravity _{_{3.88), Zr (PO 3)}} 4 ( specific gravity 3.18), and the like. Of the metal compounds (2), zirconium dioxide is particularly preferred.

In the metal compound (1) of the present embodiment, the content of titanium dioxide is 50 wt% or more and 99 wt% or less with respect to the total weight of titanium dioxide and the metal compound (2). The content is 1% by weight or more and 50% by weight or less. Preferably, the titanium dioxide content is 60 wt% or more and 95 wt% or less, the metal compound (2) content is 5 wt% or more and 40 wt% or less, and particularly preferably the titanium dioxide content is 70 wt%. The content of the metal compound (2) is 10% by weight or more and 30% by weight or less.

The metal compound (1) of the present embodiment may not contain components other than titanium dioxide and the metal compound (2), or may be contained within a range that does not impair the effects of the present invention. The content is not particularly limited, but is, for example, in the range of 0% by weight to 10% by weight with respect to the total weight of titanium dioxide and the metal compound (2).

Furthermore, when the metal compound (1) of the present embodiment is used as an ink jet pigment, it can be stably ejected from the ink jet nozzle without causing clogging, and the whiteness and concealment of the coating film can be maintained. It is preferable that the storage stability is ensured when the peak value of the volume particle size distribution measured by the dynamic light scattering method is in the range of 100 to 700 nm. Although the specific gravity of a metal compound such as titanium dioxide is generally high, in the present embodiment, it is nevertheless possible to form a white pigment for water-based ink that does not easily precipitate in the ink even in the particle size range. . *

The peak value of the volume particle size distribution measured by the dynamic light scattering method of the metal compound (1) of the present embodiment is in the range of 100 to 700 nm, preferably in the range of 150 to 400 nm. When the peak value of the volume particle size distribution of the metal compound (1) is 100 nm or more, since the visible light scattering ability is improved, the whiteness can be further improved. When the particle size peak of the metal compound (1) is 700 nm or less, clogging of the ink jet nozzle can be suppressed.

The pore characteristics of the metal compound (1) of this embodiment can be determined by nitrogen adsorption. From the measurement of nitrogen adsorption / desorption of particles, the specific surface area can be calculated by the BET (Brunauer-Emmett-Teller) method and the total pore volume can be calculated by the BJH (Barrett-Joyner-Halenda) method. Furthermore, the porosity can be calculated from the total pore volume.

The pore volume of the metal compound (1) of the present embodiment is 0.1 ml / g or more and 0.65 ml / g or less, preferably 0.2 ml / g or more and 0.65 ml / g or less. As the pore volume increases, the apparent specific gravity decreases and sedimentation becomes difficult. When the pore volume is 0.1 ml / g or more, sedimentation is less likely to occur. When the pore volume is 0.65 ml / g or less, the structure can be maintained.

The specific surface area of the metal compound (1) of the present embodiment but is not limited particularly, preferably ^70m 2 / g or more 250 meters ² / g or less, 100 m ² / g or more 200 meters ² / g or less is more preferable.
The porosity of the metal compound (1) of the present embodiment is not particularly limited, but is preferably 20% or more and 90% or less, and more preferably 30% or more and 85% or less.

In the X-ray diffraction measurement by CuKα ray, the white pigment of the present embodiment has an intensity ratio Ib / when the strongest peak intensities of diffraction lines derived from the titanium dioxide and the metal compound (2) are Ia and Ib, respectively. It is preferable that Ia is 0.02 or less from the viewpoint of improving the dispersibility or redispersibility of the pigment.

This is because since the metal compound (2) is amorphous, OH groups exist, or when a pigment is dispersed in a dispersion medium, OH groups are easily generated, and the affinity with the dispersion medium is improved. It is guessed. As a method for reducing the intensity ratio Ib / Ia, for example, a method for lowering the firing temperature in the step (c) described later can be mentioned.

(Method for producing white pigment for water-based ink)
The white pigment for aqueous ink containing the metal compound (1) of this embodiment can be produced by a method including the following steps (a), (b) and (c). Furthermore, you may perform a process (d) after a process (c).
Step (a): The following step (a-1), step (a-2) or step (a-3) is performed.
Step (a-1): A sol-gel reaction of the metal compound precursor (Y) (hereinafter sometimes referred to as “component (Y)”) is performed.
Step (a-2): A mixture containing metal compound nanoparticles and an aqueous medium is prepared.
Step (a-3): The titanium dioxide particles are surface-treated with the metal compound (2) or a precursor thereof.
Step (b): The reaction solution or mixture obtained in step (a) is dried to obtain a powder.
Step (c): The powder obtained in the step (b) is fired to obtain the metal compound (1).
Step (d): The metal compound (1) obtained in the step (c) is wet-pulverized to a desired particle size and dispersed in water to obtain an aqueous dispersion.

In the above production method, organic polymer particles may or may not be used as a template for adjusting the pores. The organic polymer particles used as the template are removed by baking in step (c).
The organic polymer particles are at least one selected from polyolefin-based, poly (meth) acrylic acid ester-based, polystyrene-based, polyurethane-based, polyacrylonitrile-based, polyvinyl chloride-based, polyvinylidene chloride-based, polyvinyl acetate-based and polybutadiene-based particles. Mention may be made of some water-insoluble polymer particles. Examples of the polyolefin type may include terminal branched copolymer particles described in WO2010 / 103856.

Hereinafter, each process is demonstrated in order.
[Step (a)]
[Step (a-1)]
In the step (a-1), a titanium dioxide precursor, a metal compound (2) or a precursor thereof, water and / or a solvent (Z) that dissolves a part or all of water in an arbitrary ratio (hereinafter referred to as “component (Z) ”may be mixed to prepare a mixed composition, and a sol-gel reaction of the metal compound precursor is performed. The mixed composition may contain a sol-gel reaction catalyst (W) for the purpose of promoting the hydrolysis / polycondensation reaction of the metal alkoxide.

[Metal compound precursor (Y)]
Examples of the metal compound precursor include a titanium dioxide precursor and a precursor of the metal compound (2).
Examples of the metal compound precursor include metal alkoxides and / or partial hydrolysis condensates thereof, metal halides, metal acetates, metal nitrates, and metal sulfates.

The metal alkoxide in this embodiment is represented by the following formula (1).
(R ¹ ) xM (OR ² ) y (1)
In the formula, R ¹ represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group (such as a methyl group, an ethyl group, or a propyl group), an aryl group (such as a phenyl group or a tolyl group), or a carbon-carbon double bond-containing organic group (an acryloyl group or a methacryloyl group). And vinyl groups), halogen-containing groups (halogenated alkyl groups such as chloropropyl group and fluoromethyl group), and the like. R ² represents a lower alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, preferably 1 to 4 carbon atoms. x and y are x + y = 4 and x represents an integer of 2 or less.

Examples of M include metals such as titanium (Ti), zirconium (Zr), zinc (Zn), cerium (Ce), and yttrium (Y).

Examples of the metal alkoxide include titanium methoxide, titanium ethoxide, titanium-n-propoxide, titanium-i-propoxide, titanium-n-butoxide, titanium-t-butoxide, zirconium methoxide, zirconium ethoxide, zirconium. -n-propoxide, zirconium-i-propoxide, zirconium-n-butoxide, zirconium-t-butoxide, zinc methoxide, zinc ethoxide, zinc-n-propoxide, zinc-i-propoxide, zinc-n-butoxide , Zinc-t-butoxide, cerium methoxide, cerium ethoxide, cerium-n-propoxide, cerium-i-propoxide, cerium-n-butoxide, cerium-t-butoxide, yttrium methoxide, yttrium ethoxide, yttrium -n-propoxide, yttrium-i-propoxide, yt Potassium -n- butoxide, such as yttrium -t--butoxide and the like.

A partially hydrolyzed condensate of metal alkoxide is a compound obtained by polycondensation of one or more metal alkoxides partially hydrolyzed using a sol-gel reaction catalyst (W). For example, a partially hydrolyzed polycondensation compound of a metal alkoxide.
In the present embodiment, the partial hydrolysis condensate of metal alkoxide is preferably an alkoxytitanium condensate or an alkoxyzirconium condensate.

As a metal halide in this embodiment, what is represented by following formula (2) can be used.
(R ¹ ) xMZy (2)
In the formula, R ¹ represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group (such as a methyl group, an ethyl group, or a propyl group), an alkoxy group (such as a methoxy group, an ethoxy group, a propoxy group, or a butoxy group), an aryl group (such as a phenyl group or a tolyl group). ), A carbon-carbon double bond-containing organic group (acryloyl group, methacryloyl group, vinyl group and the like), a halogen-containing group (halogenated alkyl group such as chloropropyl group and fluoromethyl group) and the like. Z represents F, Cl, Br, or I. x and y represent an integer such that x + y ≦ 4 and x is 2 or less. Examples of M include titanium (Ti), zirconium (Zr), zinc (Zn), cerium (Ce), yttrium (Y), and the like.

Specific examples include titanium halide, zirconium halide, zinc halide, cerium halide, yttrium halide and hydrates thereof.

Examples of the metal acetate include titanium acetate, zirconium acetate, zinc acetate, cerium acetate, yttrium acetate, and hydrates thereof.

Examples of the metal nitrate include titanium nitrate, zirconium nitrate, zinc nitrate, cerium nitrate, yttrium nitrate, and hydrates thereof.

Examples of the metal sulfate include titanium sulfate, zirconium sulfate, zinc sulfate, cerium sulfate, yttrium sulfate, and hydrates thereof.

[Solvent that dissolves water and / or a part or all of water in an arbitrary ratio (Z)]
In the mixed composition of the present embodiment, the component (Z) is added for the purpose of further hydrolyzing the metal compound precursor (Y).

In addition, the component (Z) includes both the component (Y) and the solvent used when mixing the sol-gel reaction catalyst (W) described later (hereinafter also referred to as “component (W)”). .

Water is not particularly limited, and distilled water, ion exchange water, city water, industrial water, and the like can be used, but it is preferable to use distilled water or ion exchange water.

The solvent for dissolving a part or all of water in an arbitrary ratio is not particularly limited as long as it is an organic solvent having an affinity for water and can disperse water-insoluble organic polymer particles. For example, methanol, ethanol, propyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, acetone, acetonitrile, dimethyl sulfoxide, dimethylformamide, dimethylimidazolidinone, ethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, dimethylacetamide, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, tetrahydrofuran, dioxane, methyl ethyl ketone, Examples include cyclohexanone, cyclopentanone, 2-methoxyethanol (methyl cellosolve), 2-ethoxyethanol (ethyl cellosolve), and ethyl acetate. Among these, methanol, ethanol, propyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, acetonitrile dimethyl sulfoxide, dimethylformamide, acetone, tetrahydrofuran, and dioxane are preferable because of their high affinity with water.

When water is used, the amount of water to be added is usually in the range of, for example, 1 part by weight or more and 1000000 parts by weight or less, preferably 10 parts by weight with respect to 100 parts by weight of the mixture of the component (Y) and the component (W). It is the range of not less than 10000 parts by weight.

As a solvent for dissolving a part or all of water in an arbitrary ratio, the amount of the solvent to be added is usually 1 part by weight or more with respect to 100 parts by weight of the mixture of the component (Y) and the component (W). The range is 1 million parts by weight or less, preferably 10 parts by weight or more and 10,000 parts by weight or less.

Moreover, the preferable reaction temperature at the time of hydrolysis polycondensation of metal alkoxides is 1 ° C. or more and 100 ° C. or less, more preferably 20 ° C. or more and 60 ° C. or less, and the reaction time is 10 minutes or more and 72 hours or less, More preferably, it is 1 hour or more and 24 hours or less.

[Sol-gel reaction catalyst (W)]
In the mixed composition used in the present embodiment, for the purpose of accelerating the reaction in the hydrolysis / polycondensation reaction of the metal alkoxide, it may contain a catalyst for the hydrolysis / polycondensation reaction as shown below.

What is used as a catalyst for hydrolysis and polycondensation reactions of metal alkoxides is “the latest functional sol-gel technology by the sol-gel method” (Akira Hirashima, Comprehensive Technology Center, page 29) and “Sol-Gel”. It is a catalyst used in a general sol-gel reaction described in “The Science of Law” (Sakuo Sakuo, Agne Jofu Co., Ltd., page 154).

As the catalyst (W), acid catalyst, alkali catalyst, organotin compound, titanium tetraisopropoxide, diisopropoxytitanium bisacetylacetonate, zirconium tetrabutoxide, zirconium tetrakisacetylacetonate, aluminum triisopropoxide, aluminum tris Examples thereof include metal alkoxides such as ethyl acetonate and trimethoxyborane.

Among these catalysts, acid catalysts and alkali catalysts are preferably used. Specifically, acid catalysts include inorganic and organic acids such as hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, acetic acid, succinic acid, tartaric acid, and toluenesulfonic acid, and alkali catalysts include ammonium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, and sodium hydroxide. Alkali metal hydroxide, quaternary ammonium hydroxide such as tetramethylammonium hydroxide, tetraethylammonium hydroxide, tetrabutylammonium hydroxide, ammonia, triethylamine, tributylamine, morpholine, pyridine, piperidine, ethylenediamine, diethylenetriamine, ethanolamine , Amines such as diethanolamine and triethanolamine, aminosilanes such as 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane and N (2-aminoethyl) -3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane And the like.

From the viewpoint of reactivity, it is preferable to use an acid catalyst such as hydrochloric acid or nitric acid, where the reaction proceeds relatively gently. The amount of the catalyst used is preferably 0.001 mol or more and 0.05 mol or less, more preferably 0.001 mol or more and 0.04 mol or less, and still more preferably, with respect to 1 mol of the metal alkoxide of the component (Y). It is about 0.001 mol or more and 0.03 mol or less.

The mixed composition in the step (a-1) is used, for example, in the form of a sol-gel reactant obtained by performing a sol-gel reaction without removing the solvent (Z) in the presence of the catalyst (W). Can do.

[Step (a-2)]
In step (a-2), a mixture containing metal compound nanoparticles and an aqueous medium is prepared.

The metal compound nanoparticles selected in the present embodiment contain titanium dioxide (TiO ₂ ) and further contain a metal compound (2). Examples of the metal compound (2) include zirconium dioxide (ZrO ₂ ), zinc oxide (ZnO), zinc sulfide (ZnS), yttrium oxide (Y ₂ O ₃ ), magnesium oxide (MnO), aluminum oxide, and barium sulfate. It is done. The metal compound (2) may be one type or two or more types.

Examples of the metal compound nanoparticles include a structure in which one or more kinds of inorganic ultrafine particles are coated with one or more kinds of other inorganic substances (core-shell structure), and a structure in which a crystal structure is formed with two or more kinds of components.

The particle diameter of the metal compound nanoparticles is preferably 1 nm to 50 nm, more preferably 1 nm to 20 nm, and still more preferably 1 nm to 10 nm.
Moreover, as a manufacturing method of a metal compound nanoparticle, it can divide roughly into the crushing method and the synthesis method. Further, as synthesis methods, there are vapor phase methods such as evaporation condensation method and gas phase reaction method, liquid phase methods such as colloid method, homogeneous precipitation method, hydrothermal synthesis method and microemulsion method.

Although the manufacturing method of the metal compound nanoparticle used for this embodiment is not restrict | limited in particular, The thing manufactured by the synthesis method is preferable from points, such as a particle size, a composition uniformity, and an impurity.
Each metal compound nanoparticle is preferably dispersed in water or the like in a colloidal or slurry form. In order to keep the dispersion stable, a silane cup such as γ-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane or methacryloyloxypropyltrimethoxysilane is used. The dispersion may be stabilized by a method such as adding a ring agent, an organic acid such as carboxylic acid, a polymer such as polyvinyl pyrrolidone or polyvinyl alcohol, or chemically bonding (surface modification) them to the surface of the fine particles.

Examples of the aqueous medium in which the metal compound nanoparticles are dispersed include water and / or a solvent that dissolves part or all of water in an arbitrary ratio. The water is not particularly limited, and distilled water, ion exchange water, city water, industrial water, and the like can be used. In particular, it is preferable to use distilled water or ion exchange water.

The solvent for dissolving a part or all of water in an arbitrary ratio is not particularly limited as long as it is an organic solvent having an affinity for water. For example, methanol, ethanol, propyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, acetone, acetonitrile, dimethyl sulfoxide, dimethylformamide, dimethylimidazolidinone, ethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, dimethylacetamide, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, tetrahydrofuran, dioxane, methyl ethyl ketone, Examples include cyclohexanone, cyclopentanone, 2-methoxyethanol (methyl cellosolve), 2-ethoxyethanol (ethyl cellosolve), and ethyl acetate. Among these, methanol, ethanol, propyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, acetonitrile, dimethyl sulfoxide, dimethylformamide, acetone, tetrahydrofuran, and dioxane are preferable because of their high affinity with water.

[Step (a-3)]
In the step (a-3), the titanium dioxide particles are surface-treated with the metal compound (2) or a precursor thereof. Surface treatment refers to attaching, carrying or coating a surface treatment agent on the surface of titanium dioxide particles.

Titanium dioxide can be produced by various known methods such as the sulfuric acid method and the chlorine method. Commercially available titanium dioxide may also be used.
Among these, in the sulfuric acid method, a titanium-containing ore is generally leached with sulfuric acid to obtain a titanium sulfate solution, and the titanium sulfate solution is hydrolyzed to obtain a hydrous titanium precipitate. The precipitate is calcined in the presence of an appropriate additive to obtain a precipitate having a desired crystal structure. At this time, a metal oxide film can be applied by surface treatment. When the resultant is finally pulverized and adjusted to a desired particle size, the desired titanium dioxide particles are obtained.

On the other hand, in the chlorine method, when titanium dioxide obtained by vapor phase oxidation of titanium halide such as titanium tetrachloride at high temperature is finally pulverized and adjusted to a desired particle size, the target titanium dioxide particles are obtained. can get.

The primary particle diameter of titanium dioxide is not particularly limited, but can be, for example, 10 to 200 nm. In particular, a primary particle size of 60 nm or more is preferable because whiteness is further improved.

Before the surface treatment with the metal compound (2) or its precursor, it is preferable to surface-treat the titanium dioxide particles with an inorganic phosphate compound.

Specific examples of inorganic phosphate compounds include phosphoric acid, ammonium phosphate, diammonium hydrogen phosphate, triammonium hydrogen phosphate, monopotassium phosphate, calcium monohydrogen phosphate, monosodium phosphate, dipotassium hydrogen phosphate In addition to tripotassium hydrogen phosphate, pyrophosphoric acid, tripolyphosphoric acid, tetrapolyphosphoric acid, trimetaphosphoric acid, tetrametaphosphoric acid, hexametaphosphoric acid, and salts thereof may be mentioned. In the present embodiment, two or more of the various inorganic phosphate compounds described above may be used in combination.
Among these phosphoric acid compounds, phosphoric acid, ammonium phosphate, diammonium hydrogen phosphate, and triammonium hydrogen phosphate are more preferable. In particular, an ammonium salt of phosphoric acid is preferable.

As a treatment method, a method of mixing titanium dioxide particles and an inorganic phosphate compound in a medium such as water, a method of mixing dried titanium dioxide particles and an inorganic phosphate compound, and spraying an inorganic phosphate compound on titanium dioxide. The method, the method of immersing titanium dioxide in an inorganic phosphoric acid compound, etc. are mentioned.

In the titanium dioxide surface-treated with the inorganic phosphoric acid compound of the present embodiment, the phosphoric acid compound preferably contains more than 1% by mass and 30% by mass or less, more preferably more than 5% by mass and 20% by mass or less of the titanium dioxide. It is processed by.

As the surface treatment method using the metal compound (2), various known methods that are usually performed can be employed. For example, after adding the above-described water-soluble compound of metal to an aqueous slurry of titanium dioxide. A method of neutralizing and precipitating the above-mentioned metal hydrous oxide on the surface of titanium dioxide, followed by filtration and drying can be employed.

[Step (b)]
In step (b), the reaction solution obtained in step (a-1), the mixture obtained in step (a-2), or the surface treatment obtained in step (a-3) is applied. The titanium dioxide particles are dried to obtain a powder.

As a method for producing the powder, the reaction solution or mixture of the present embodiment is heated and dried at a predetermined temperature to remove water or the solvent, and then the obtained solid is formed by a treatment such as pulverization or classification, or freeze-drying. After removing water or solvent at low temperature and drying as in the method, heat drying at a predetermined temperature and then shaping the resulting solid by pulverization or classification, adding a poor solvent such as methanol to agglomerate Examples thereof include a method of filtering and drying the obtained product, and a method of obtaining powder by spraying composite fine particles of 10 μm or less with a spray drying device (spray dryer) using a spray dryer and volatilizing the solvent.

When using the reaction solution obtained in the above step (a-1), the sol-gel reaction is completed by heating and drying, and a metal compound is formed. The heating temperature for completing the sol-gel reaction is from room temperature to 300 ° C, more preferably from 80 ° C to 200 ° C.

The state in which the sol-gel reaction is completed is ideally a state in which all of them form MOM bonds, but some alkoxyl groups (M-OR ² ) and M-OH groups are partially formed. Although it remains, it includes a state in which it has shifted to a solid (gel) state.

When using the mixture obtained in the above step (a-2), the metal compound nanoparticles are aggregated and bonded by heating and drying. The heating temperature for promoting the aggregation and bonding of the metal compound nanoparticles is preferably from room temperature to 300 ° C., more preferably from 80 ° C. to 200 ° C. *

When the surface-treated titanium dioxide particles obtained in the step (a-3) are used, the heating temperature is preferably from room temperature to 300 ° C., more preferably from 80 ° C. to 200 ° C.

[Step (c)]
In the step (c), the powder obtained in the step (b) is fired.
The firing temperature is preferably 300 ° C. or higher and 1000 ° C. or lower, more preferably 400 ° C. or higher and 1000 ° C. or lower, further preferably 500 ° C. or higher and 800 ° C. or lower, and particularly preferably 500 ° C. or higher and 600 ° C. or lower. When the firing temperature is equal to or higher than the lower limit, the formation of titanium dioxide crystals can be sufficiently advanced. On the other hand, when the firing temperature is not more than the above upper limit, excessive sintering of the titanium dioxide crystal and collapse of the porous structure can be suppressed. Firing may be performed at a constant temperature, or may be gradually raised from room temperature. The firing time can be changed according to the temperature, but it is preferably performed in the range of 1 to 24 hours. Firing may be performed in air or in an inert gas such as nitrogen or argon. Moreover, you may carry out under reduced pressure or in a vacuum.

The metal compound (1) used as the white pigment of the present embodiment is difficult to settle in an aqueous medium and has excellent whiteness. Although the principle is not clear, the metal compound (2) is unevenly distributed on the surface of titanium dioxide, and the porous structure is maintained by preventing the titanium dioxide crystals from growing excessively during firing, and the pore volume is appropriate. This is presumed to be in the range.

[Step (d)]
In the step (d), the metal compound (1) obtained in the step (c) is wet-pulverized to a desired particle size and dispersed in water to obtain an aqueous dispersion.

Grinding bead mills, jet mills, ball mills, sand mills, attritors, roll mills, agitator mills, Henschel mixers, colloid mills, ultrasonic homogenizers, ang mills, etc. for the purpose of creating aqueous dispersions with pigments of the desired particle size -A disperser can be used. Prior to filling the pulverizer / disperser, pre-pulverization with a mortar may be performed. Moreover, you may use the mixer for premixes. For the next step, the aqueous dispersion can be used as it is, but in order to remove a minute amount of coarse particles, centrifugal separation, pressure filtration, vacuum filtration and the like can also be used.

In order to stabilize the dispersion, addition of a surfactant or dispersant is not indispensable. For example, an anionic surfactant, a cationic surfactant, an amphoteric surfactant, a nonionic surfactant, a polymer dispersant, etc. are crushed. -You may coexist at the time of distributed processing.

Anionic surfactants include, for example, carboxylates, simple alkyl sulfonates, modified alkyl sulfonates, alkyl allyl sulfonates, alkyl sulfate esters, sulfated oils, sulfate esters, sulfated fatty acid monoglycerides, sulfated alkanol amides. Sulphated ethers, alkyl phosphate esters, alkyl benzene phosphonates, naphthalene sulfonic acid / formalin condensates.

Examples of cationic surfactants include simple amine salts, modified amine salts, tetraalkyl quaternary ammonium salts, modified trialkyl quaternary ammonium salts, trialkyl benzyl quaternary ammonium salts, and modified trialkyl benzyl quaternary salts. Examples include quaternary ammonium salts, alkyl pyridinium salts, modified alkyl pyridinium salts, alkyl quinolinium salts, alkyl phosphonium salts, and alkyl sulfonium salts.

Examples of amphoteric surfactants include betaine, sulfobetaine, and sulfate betaine.

Nonionic surfactants include, for example, fatty acid monoglycerin ester, fatty acid polyglycol ester, fatty acid sorbitan ester, fatty acid sucrose ester, fatty acid alkanol amide, fatty acid polyethylene glycol glycol condensate, fatty acid amide polyethylene glycol condensate, Examples include fatty acid alcohol / polyethylene / glycol condensate, fatty acid amine / polyethylene / glycol condensate, fatty acid mercaptan / polyethylene / glycol condensate, alkyl / phenol / polyethylene / glycol condensate, and polypropylene / glycol / polyethylene / glycol condensate. . These surfactants can be used alone or in combination of two or more, and can also be used in combination with other additives.

An antifoaming agent may be added in order to suppress foaming during pulverization / dispersion. Examples of antifoaming agents include silicones, polyethers, and alcohols. These antifoaming agents can be used alone or in combination of two or more. The order of adding the dispersant is not particularly limited, but it is preferable to add the dispersant before or after the step (d).
The peak value of the volume particle size distribution measured by the dynamic light scattering method of the metal compound (1) is in the range of 100 to 700 nm as described above.

As described above, the pore volume of the metal compound (1) of the present embodiment is such that (C) the pore volume is in the range of 0.1 ml / g or more and 0.65 ml / g or less. Such a structure has, for example, a so-called core-shell structure in which the titanium dioxide fine particles are coated with the metal component (2), or a structure in which the fine particles of the metal compound (2) are interposed between the titanium dioxide fine particles. Is considered to be achieved.
It is known that titanium dioxide fine particles are likely to be crystallized and grow in the firing step. When such so-called particle growth occurs, there is a high possibility that the particles have a small pore volume.

In this embodiment, the presence of the metal compound (2) suppresses crystal growth of the titanium dioxide fine particles, and as a result, so-called porous particles having a large pore volume are considered to be obtained.

Moreover, the refractive index of the metal compound (2) of this embodiment is 1.60 or more and 2.45 or less. In general, it is known that components having a low refractive index tend to have low whiteness. However, the white pigment for aqueous ink of the present invention has high whiteness. It is presumed that this is also due to the structure as described above.
The specific gravity of the metal compound (2) of the present embodiment is preferably 3.0 g / cm ³ or more and 6.0 g / cm ³ or less.

Usually, it is generally considered that when a component having a specific gravity heavier than water is used, the dispersibility as a water-based ink decreases. However, the white pigment for water-based ink of this embodiment has a good dispersibility in water. It is presumed that this is also due to the formation of the structure as described above. Further, it is presumed that a component having a heavy specific gravity is preferable for forming the above structure because it is presumed that the particle growth rate tends to be slow because of its low mobility.

In addition, in existing products, by containing an insulating substance such as silica in titanium oxide, the photocatalytic function of titanium oxide is suppressed, a decrease in whiteness derived from the photocatalytic function is prevented, and whiteness is maintained. Even if titanium dioxide, zirconium dioxide, zinc sulfide, ZnO, lead white, aluminum oxide, Y ₂ O _{3 and} BaSO4, which are the metal compounds (2) described in the present invention are contained in titania, the same effect is obtained, Presumably possible to maintain.

2. Aqueous ink composition The aqueous ink composition of this embodiment contains the above-mentioned pigment for aqueous ink and water. Further, it may contain a water-soluble organic solvent, a lubricant, a polymer dispersant, a surfactant, other colorants, and other various additives.

The addition amount of the pigment for water-based ink of the present embodiment is preferably 1% by weight or more and 40% by weight or less, more preferably 3% by weight or more and 30% by weight or less with respect to the whole ink. In this embodiment, even in the case of such a high pigment concentration, the dispersibility of the pigment particles and the clogging reliability are excellent, and by increasing the pigment concentration in the ink, an image with high hiding power can be obtained. can get.

Examples of the solvent of the aqueous ink composition of the present embodiment include water or a mixed solvent of water and a water-soluble organic solvent. As the water, pure water such as ion exchange water, ultrafiltration water, reverse osmosis water, distilled water, or ultrapure water can be used. In addition, the use of water sterilized by ultraviolet irradiation or addition of hydrogen peroxide is preferable because generation of mold and bacteria can be prevented when the ink composition is stored for a long period of time. The water-soluble organic solvent is preferably a low-boiling organic solvent, and examples thereof include methanol, ethanol, n-propyl alcohol, iso-propyl alcohol, n-butanol, sec-butanol, tert-butanol, iso- Examples include butanol and n-pentanol. A monohydric alcohol is particularly preferable. The low boiling point organic solvent has an effect of shortening the drying time of the ink. The amount of the low-boiling organic solvent added is preferably 0.5% by weight or more and 10% by weight or less, more preferably 1.5% by weight or more and 6% by weight or less of the aqueous ink composition.

The aqueous ink composition of the present embodiment preferably further contains a wetting agent such as a high boiling point organic solvent. Preferred examples of the wetting agent include ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, propylene glycol, butylene glycol, 1,2,6-hexanetriol, thioglycol, hexylene glycol, glycerin, trimethylolethane. Polyhydric alcohols such as trimethylolpropane, ethylene glycol monoethyl ether, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, diethylene glycol monomethyl ether, diethylene glycol monoethyl ether, diethylene glycol monobutyl ether, triethylene glycol monomethyl ether, triethylene glycol monoethyl ether, triethylene glycol Multivalent such as ethylene glycol monobutyl ether Alkyl ethers of alcohols, urea, 2-pyrrolidone, N- methyl-2-pyrrolidone, 1,3-dimethyl-2-like imidazolidinone.

The addition amount of these wetting agents is preferably 0.5% by weight or more and 40% by weight or less of the aqueous ink composition, and more preferably 2% by weight or more and 20% by weight or less.

The aqueous ink composition of this embodiment preferably contains a polymer dispersant. Examples of the polymer dispersant include natural polymers. Specifically, proteins such as glue, gelatin, casein, albumin, natural rubbers such as gum arabic and tragacanth, glucosides such as savoni, alginic acid and propylene glycol alginate, triethanolamine alginate, and alginic acid derivatives such as ammonium alginate , Cellulose derivatives such as methylcellulose, carboxymethylcellulose, hydroxyethylcellulose, and ethylhydroxycellulose.
Furthermore, preferred examples of the polymer dispersant include synthetic polymers such as polyvinyl alcohols, polyvinyl pyrrolidones, polyacrylic acid, acrylic acid / acrylonitrile copolymers, potassium acrylate / acrylonitrile copolymers, vinyl acetate / acrylic. Acid ester copolymers, acrylic resins such as acrylic acid / acrylic ester copolymers, styrene / acrylic acid copolymers, styrene / methacrylic acid copolymers, styrene / methacrylic acid / acrylic acid ester copolymers, Styrene / acrylic resins such as styrene / α-methylstyrene / acrylic acid copolymer, styrene / α-methylstyrene / acrylic acid / acrylic acid ester copolymer, styrene / maleic acid copolymer, styrene / maleic anhydride copolymer Polymer, vinyl naphthalene / acrylic acid copolymer , Vinyl naphthalene / maleic acid copolymer, and vinyl acetate / ethylene copolymer, vinyl acetate / fatty acid vinyl / ethylene copolymer, vinyl acetate / maleic acid ester copolymer, vinyl acetate / crotonic acid copolymer, Examples thereof include vinyl acetate copolymers such as vinyl acetate / acrylic acid copolymers and salts thereof. Among these, a copolymer of a monomer having a hydrophobic group and a monomer having a hydrophilic group, and a polymer comprising a monomer having both a hydrophobic group and a hydrophilic group in the molecular structure, such as styrene / acrylic An acid copolymer, a styrene / methacrylic acid copolymer, and the like are preferable.

The ink composition of this embodiment may further contain a surfactant. Examples of the surfactant include the surfactants exemplified in the step (d). These can be used alone or in combination of two or more. A polyolefin wax may be added in order to improve the fixing property to the recording medium and the water resistance.
In addition, a pH adjuster, an antiseptic, a fungicide, an antioxidant, a fixing resin, and the like may be added as necessary.

In this embodiment, a light-colored ink can be obtained by adding an appropriate amount of pigment and / or dye other than the pigment for water-based ink of this embodiment.

The ink composition of the present embodiment can be produced by dispersing and mixing the above components by an appropriate method. After preparing a solution to which each ink component has been added and stirring sufficiently, the target ink composition can be obtained by performing filtration to remove coarse particles and foreign matters that cause clogging. For example, it can be produced by appropriately adding an additive or the like to the aqueous dispersion obtained in the step (d) as necessary.

Examples of the use of the water-based ink composition of the present embodiment include inkjet printing, offset printing, and gravure printing, which are particularly suitable for printing with an inkjet printer.

3. Images and printed matter Images and printed matter can be obtained by printing on a substrate (substrate) using the aqueous ink composition of the present invention. Examples of the substrate include paper, fiber products, plastics (including vinyl chloride, polyethylene terephthalate, polyolefins such as polyethylene and polypropylene), glass, ceramics, and metals.

The water-based ink composition of the present embodiment can satisfactorily hide the base. Furthermore, when the water-based ink composition of the present embodiment is a white ink, images and printed matter with high whiteness can be obtained. Moreover, after printing with the water-based ink composition of the present embodiment, good color developability of the color ink can be obtained by printing using various color inks.

As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described, these are illustrations of this invention and various structures other than the above can also be employ | adopted.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described more specifically with reference to examples. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited to these examples.

(Example 1)
(Synthesis of zirconium dioxide-containing titanium dioxide nanoparticles and preparation of aqueous dispersion)
120 g (corresponding to Ti: 3.76 × 10 ⁻¹ mol) of titanium (IV) chloride solution (Wako Pure Chemicals, Ti: about 15%) was added to 4000 ml of ion-exchanged water and stirred at a temperature of 70 ° C. After 1 hour, a bluish titanium dioxide colloidal aqueous solution was obtained. 15.6 g (Zr: 4.83 × 10 ⁻² mol equivalent) of zirconium chloride octahydrate was added to this colloid solution, and the temperature of the aqueous colloidal solution was kept at 70 ° C. and stirred for 1 hour. As a result, a bluish white sol solution was obtained. The aqueous colloidal solution was washed by ion dialysis so that the pH of the colloidal solution was around 2.5, and an aqueous dispersion of zirconium dioxide-containing titanium dioxide nanoparticles having a solid content concentration of 6% by weight was obtained. The powder obtained by drying the aqueous dispersion was analyzed by X-ray diffraction spectrum measurement using an X-Ray diffractometer Multiflex 2 kW (CuKα ray λ = 1.5418 製) manufactured by Rigaku Corporation, and the Scherrer constant was set to 0.9. When analyzed by the Debye-Scherrer method, it was confirmed that the crystal structure of anatase-type titanium dioxide was about 3 nm.

(Formation of zirconium dioxide-containing titanium dioxide powder)
An aqueous dispersion of zirconium dioxide-containing titanium dioxide nanoparticles having a solid content concentration of 6% by weight is poured into a spray dryer apparatus, pressurized at a nozzle outlet temperature of 200 ° C. (0.2 MPa), sprayed and dried, and thus zirconium dioxide-containing dioxide. A titanium powder was obtained. The obtained powder is heated at a rate of 5 ° C. per minute from room temperature to 500 ° C. in an air atmosphere by using an electric furnace, and further calcined at 500 ° C. for 2 hours, whereby zirconium dioxide-containing titanium dioxide powder is obtained. A sintered body was obtained. When this sintered body was observed with a scanning electron microscope (SEM), it was confirmed to be a powder of 0.5 to 20 μm. When this sintered body was analyzed by the X-ray diffraction method in the same manner as described above, it was a crystal structure of anatase-type titanium dioxide, and the crystal size was 5.6 nm.

(Preparation of aqueous slurry)
The sintered body of zirconium dioxide-containing titanium dioxide powder was pulverized and dispersed in water using a wet type bead mill so that the solid content concentration was 10% by weight. Grinding was performed while confirming the particle size, and the slurry was recovered when the volume particle size distribution peak reached 270 nm.

(Example 2)
Using a wet type bead mill, a sintered body of zirconium dioxide-containing titanium dioxide powder obtained by the same method as in Example 1 was used so that the solid concentration was 19% by weight and the pH was around 9. The pulverization and dispersion treatment was performed in an aqueous solution. Grinding was performed while confirming the particle size, and the slurry was collected when the volume particle size distribution peak reached 240 nm.

(Example 3)
Using a wet type bead mill, a sintered body of zirconium dioxide-containing titanium dioxide powder obtained by the same method as in Example 1 was mixed with sodium hydroxide and a dispersing agent (No. 1). The pulverization / dispersion treatment was performed in an aqueous solution containing Charol AN103P) manufactured by Ichi Kogyo Seiyaku. The dispersant was added so that the dry weight was 2% by weight with respect to the pigment weight. Grinding was performed while confirming the particle size, and the slurry was collected when the volume particle size distribution peak reached 240 nm.

(Example 4)
Using a wet type bead mill, a sintered body of zirconium dioxide-containing titanium dioxide powder obtained by the same method as in Example 1 was used to add sodium hydroxide and a dispersant (No. 1) to a solid content concentration of 18% by weight. The pulverization / dispersion treatment was performed in an aqueous solution containing Charol AN103P) manufactured by Ichi Kogyo Seiyaku. The same procedure as in Example 3 was carried out except that the dispersant was added in a dry weight of 10% by weight with respect to the pigment weight.

(Comparative Example 1)
(Preparation of aqueous slurry)
Aluminum hydroxide-modified titanium dioxide powder (Ishihara Sangyo Co., Ltd., TTO-51 (A), aluminum hydroxide content 20% by weight) was analyzed by X-ray diffractometry in the same manner as in Example 1. Titanium dioxide was the main component and the crystal size was 11.1 nm. The aluminum hydroxide-modified titanium dioxide powder was pulverized and dispersed in water using a wet type bead mill so that the solid content concentration was 10% by weight. Grinding was performed while confirming the particle size, and the slurry was recovered when the volume average diameter peak reached 260 nm.
Aluminum hydroxide has a refractive index of 1.57 and a specific gravity of 2.42 g / cm ³ .

(Comparative Example 2)
(Preparation of aqueous slurry)
Aluminum hydroxide-modified titanium dioxide powder (Ishihara Sangyo Co., Ltd., TTO-51 (A), aluminum hydroxide content 20% by weight) is mixed with water using a wet type bead mill so that the solid content concentration becomes 17% by weight. The pulverization and dispersion treatment was performed in an aqueous sodium oxide solution. While confirming the particle size, pulverization was performed to prepare a slurry. The resulting slurry had a high viscosity and was difficult to prepare as an ink. This is presumably because aluminum hydroxide was dissolved in an aqueous sodium hydroxide solution to form a solution in a gel state.

(Comparative Example 3)
Titanium dioxide nanoparticles were synthesized in the same manner as in Example 1 except that zirconium chloride octahydrate was not added, and a titanium dioxide powder was prepared through a drying and firing process. When analyzed by X-ray diffraction in the same manner as in Example 1, anatase type and rutile type titanium dioxide were mixed, the anatase type crystal size was 18.8 nm, and the rutile type crystal size was 26.3 nm. there were.
A sintered body of titanium dioxide powder that does not contain zirconium dioxide is pulverized in a sodium hydroxide aqueous solution using a wet type bead mill so that the solid content concentration is 20% by weight and the pH is around 12.8. Distributed processing was performed. Grinding was performed while confirming the particle size, and the slurry was recovered when the volume particle size distribution peak reached 300 nm.

(Example 5)
160 g of commercially available titanium dioxide powder (anatase / rutile type, primary particle size: 80 nm) was added to 480 g of ion-exchanged water, and 160 g of a 10 wt% hexametaphosphoric acid aqueous solution was further added and stirred at room temperature. To this slurry solution, 83.7 g of zirconium chloride oxide octahydrate was added. To this slurry solution was slowly added an aqueous sodium hydroxide solution to adjust the pH to 4.0 to 4.5, and the mixture was stirred as it was for 2 hours. The obtained slurry solution was filtered, solid content was taken out and dried. The obtained powder is heated at a rate of 5 ° C. per minute from room temperature to 500 ° C. in an air atmosphere by using an electric furnace, and further calcined at 500 ° C. for 2 hours, whereby zirconium dioxide-coated titanium dioxide powder. A sintered body was obtained.

(Preparation of aqueous slurry)
The obtained sintered body of zirconium dioxide-coated titanium dioxide powder was mixed with sodium hydroxide and a dispersant (Daiichi Kogyo Seiyaku Co., Ltd., Charol AN103P) using a wet type bead mill so that the solid concentration was 20% by weight. ) Was pulverized and dispersed in an aqueous solution. At this time, sodium hydroxide was added so that the pH was around 8 and the dispersant was 2 wt% in terms of dry weight relative to the pigment weight. Grinding was performed while confirming the particle size, and the slurry was collected when the peak volume average diameter reached 309 nm.

(Example 6)
The same procedure as in Example 5 was performed except that the titanium oxide was changed to a commercially available titanium dioxide powder (anatase type, primary particle size: 180 nm), and the slurry was collected when the peak of the volume average diameter reached 226 nm.

(Example 7)
The same procedure as in Example 5 was performed except that the titanium oxide was changed to a commercially available titanium dioxide powder (rutile type, primary particle size: 35 nm), and the slurry was collected when the peak of the volume average diameter reached 348 nm.

(Example 8)
The same procedure as in Example 5 was conducted except that the titanium oxide was changed to a commercially available titanium dioxide powder (rutile type, primary particle size: 15 nm), and the slurry was collected when the peak of the volume average diameter reached 267 nm.

(Comparative Example 4)
Titanium oxide was changed to commercially available titanium dioxide powder (anatase type primary particle size: 35 nm), and the same procedure as in Example 5 was carried out except that zirconium oxychloride octahydrate was not added. The slurry was collected when the peak reached 257 nm.

(Comparative Example 5)
Except that the firing was carried out at 1000 ° C., it was carried out in the same manner as in Comparative Example 4, and the slurry was collected when the volume average diameter peak reached 283 nm.

(Slurry evaluation method)
(Slurry particle size distribution)
The slurry of Examples and Comparative Examples was diluted with water to a solid content concentration of about 0.1% by weight, subjected to ultrasonic treatment for 1 minute, and then subjected to a dynamic light scattering nanotrack particle size analyzer (Microtrack UPA). -The volume average diameter was measured using EX150 (made by Nikkiso Co., Ltd.).

(Specific surface area, pore volume)
The slurry of Examples and Comparative Examples was dried to collect powder, and using Autosorb 3 (manufactured by Kantachrome), the specific surface area (BET method) was measured by the nitrogen gas adsorption method at a liquid nitrogen temperature (77 K). The pore volume was measured.

(Dispersibility)
The aqueous dispersion was allowed to stand, and the sedimentation state of the particles was visually evaluated.
The evaluation criteria are as follows.
○: Settling down gradually, but the water layer and the precipitate are not completely separated even after one week.
Δ: Settling down gradually, but the aqueous layer and the precipitate are not completely separated even after one day.
X: Immediately settles, and the aqueous layer and the precipitate are completely separated.
XX: Cannot be evaluated due to high viscosity.

(Whiteness)
An aqueous composition added so that the dry weight of the acrylic emulsion (Almatex) as a fixing resin is 2 parts by weight with respect to the dry weight of 10 parts by weight of the aqueous slurry is applied to the PET film surface using a bar coater. Coat to a thickness of ˜3 μm. The PET film was placed on a standard black plate, and the lightness (L ^* value) was measured using a spectrocolorimeter (NF333, manufactured by Nippon Denshoku Industries Co., Ltd.). The L ^* value is an index of whiteness. The evaluation criteria for whiteness are as follows.
AAA: L ^* value is 80 or more AA: L ^* value is 75 or more and less than 80 A: L ^* value is 72 or more and less than 75 B: L ^* value is 68 or more and less than 72 C: L ^* value is 65 or more and less than 68 D: L ^* value is less than 65

(XRD peak intensity ratio measurement method)
The white pigment after baking or the white pigment which has not been fired was subjected to X-ray diffraction measurement using CuKα rays for the dried white pigment. The intensity ratio when the height from the baseline of the peak of titanium dioxide appearing from 24 ° to 29 ° and the peak of the diffraction line derived from zirconium dioxide appearing from 29 ° to 32 ° is Ia and Ib, respectively. Ib / Ia was calculated.

Tables 1 and 2 show the evaluation results of Examples and Comparative Examples. In Table 2, the numbers A and R shown in the column of the crystallite size of Example 5 and Comparative Example 5 represent the crystallite sizes of the anatase phase and the rutile phase, respectively.

This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2011-172898 filed on Aug. 8, 2011 and Japanese Application No. 2012-091842 filed on Apr. 13, 2012. , The entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein.

Claims

A white pigment for aqueous ink containing a metal compound (1) that satisfies the following conditions (A), (B), and (C).
(A) The metal compound (1) includes titanium dioxide and a metal compound (2) having a refractive index of 1.60 or more and 2.45 or less at a wavelength of 550 nm,
When the total of the titanium dioxide and the metal compound (2) is 100% by weight, the content of the titanium dioxide is 50% by weight to 99% by weight, and the content of the metal compound (2) is 1% by weight. The peak value of volume particle size distribution of the metal compound (1) measured by the dynamic light scattering method is in the range of 100 to 700 nm. (C) The metal compound (1) The pore volume calculated by the BJH (Barrett-Joyner-Halenda) method is from 0.1 ml / g to 0.65 ml / g
The white pigment for water-based ink according to claim 1,
A white pigment for water-based ink, wherein the specific gravity of the metal compound (2) is 3.0 g / cm 3 or more and 6.0 g / cm 3 or less.
The white pigment for water-based ink according to claim 1 or 2,
A white pigment for aqueous ink, wherein the metal compound (2) is zirconium dioxide.
The white pigment for aqueous ink according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
In the X-ray diffraction measurement by CuKα ray of the white pigment for water-based ink,
A white pigment for aqueous ink in which the peak intensity ratio I b / I a is 0.02 or less, where I a and I b are the strongest peak intensities of diffraction lines derived from the titanium dioxide and the metal compound (2), respectively. .
An aqueous ink composition comprising the white pigment for aqueous ink according to any one of claims 1 to 4.
The water-based ink composition according to claim 5,
An aqueous ink composition, wherein the aqueous ink composition is for inkjet printing.
An image or printed matter obtained by printing the water-based ink composition according to claim 5 or 6 on a substrate.